Recommended

Here are some of my favourite romance books. They are not in any particular order. I will keep adding to this list over time, as I discover new authors.
For my recommendations of non-romance books, click here.
This page earns commissions through affiliate links via Amazon USA. All book links will direct you to their website.

Based on the popular Broadway show, this trio of romances is perfect. Rose Lerner's story of a woman who fights as a soldier is a gorgeous own voices Jewish tale. Courtney Milan's story of two unlikely lovers made me laugh and cry. Alyssa Cole's f/f tale is simply delightful.

I never thought I'd recommend a rape fantasy book. The concept is distasteful. And then, there is this book. It confronts rape fantasy and discusses it all."The harm is when the lines between reality and fantasy get blurred."

This book should be taught in schools. It manages to take an awful piece of USA history, and craft a real, vibrant love story from it, without preaching. The sequel A Hope Divided (The Loyal League) is eagerly awaited.

The first book in The Wicked Quills of London series. If you like gossip, historical women who work for a living, heroines in pants, and great banter, this is the book for you. Oh, and there is a bonus mystery.

The first book in my all-time favourite romance series. Read the whole series. Start here. This book is clever, serious, funny, sexy. It’s everything. Which is my favourite one in the series? I can’t pick. I love them all. Start with Minerva.

Set in 1960s America, this is a cross-cultural romance set in a difficult time in America's history. It's emotional, gorgeous, and includes a beautiful epilogue that shows the characters love for each other enduring over time. Not just a happy-ever-after; but one that extends.

If you love contemporary romance with heroines who aren't perfectly beautiful, and if you love hilarious banter, this is the book for you.
Also by Jennifer Crusie is: Agnes and the Hitman - a complete crazy sauce plot that you'll either love or hate.

A fun, erotic take on the billionaire trope with a twist. She is the billionaire. She's also exciting, brave, a bit messed up, complex. He's a writer. They have a complicated history thanks to their parent’s multiple marriages. I enjoyed the way this book took a trope, changed it up and owned it.

By far the best book in the Spindle Cove series, Any Duchess will Do follows the maid, Pauline Simms. I love this part. “Whatever they give you. Don’t squander it. All bread goes straight in your belly, and all the learning you can gather goes here. … Stash it away. Because once it’s in you, it’s yours. No one can take it from you.”

Damaris is my favourite character in this series: The Chance Sisters. She’s pragmatic. She takes on a fake romance in return for her own cottage. She wants her independence and if she must pretend to get it, she will.

The Writing Girls series hits all my buttons. Four women who work for an income. History. Rakes with a sense of honour and humour. I especially like this one, because Julianna is never helpless. She’s strong and sassy. Plus the boxing scene.

Set in the Old West of the USA in 1865, this is a delightful tale of defiance and love in a difficult world. If you want something non-Regency that will challenge and delight you, I heartily recommend this.

The Hathaway family. How I adore you. This is my favourite in the series, although the last one comes a close second. But please start at the beginning. Read them all. The banter between governess Catherine Marks and Lord Ramsey is brilliant.

The final in the Bastion Club series. Most of the heroines in this series are strong and unusual for their time. The last one is my favourite because the hero, who was so mysterious and perfect all the way through, suddenly is not perfect. And the heroine is feisty and holds her own against him.

This is the third in the Bride Quartet series. A recommendation list doesn't seem complete without something from 'Queen Nora'; and this series is on my keep shelf. It's hard to pick a favourite; however, the heroine in this one really resonated with me personally.

I love a pants wearing historical heroine. She makes a stand against society, and hitches a ride with an unlikely bloke. This story highlights the perceived role of women in society, and how gossip (and fashion magazines) alters appearances. The idea for this page of ‘recommended’ books was inspired by Sarah MacLean’s website.